Differentiation Between Women With Vulvovaginal SymptomsWho are Positive or Negative forCandidaSpecies by Culture

[摘要] Objective:To investigate whether clinical criteria could differentiate between women with vulvovaginitis whowere culture positive or negative for vaginalCandidaspecies.Methods:Vulvovaginal specimens were obtained from 501 women with a vaginal discharge and/or pruritis.Clinical information and wet mount microscopy findings were obtained. All specimens were sent to a centrallaboratory for species identification.Results:A positive culture forCandidaspecies was obtained from 364 (72.7%) of the specimens.C. albicanswasidentified in 86.4% of the positive cultures, followed byC. glabratain 4.5%,C. parapsilosisin 3.9%,C. tropicalisin2.7% and otherCandidaspecies in 1.4%.Women with a positiveCandidaculture had an increased utilization of oralcontraceptives (26.1% vs. 16.8%,p= 0.02) and antibiotics (8.2% vs. 0.7%,p= 0.001), and were more likely tobe pregnant (9.1% vs. 3.6%,p= 0.04) than the culture-negative women. Dyspareunia was more frequent inwomen withoutCandida(38.0% vs. 28.3%,p= 0.03) while vaginal erythema (p=0.01) was more common inwomen with a positiveCandidaculture.Conclusions:Although quantitative differences were observed, the presence of vaginalCandidavulvovaginitiscannot be definitively identified by clinical criteria.

[学科分类] 妇产科学